


There's No Glitter in the Gutter

by keep_me_alone



Category: Batman Comics, Batman all media types
Genre: Bruce is bad at emotions, Clark and Bruce are lowkey gay dads trying to parent their sick angsty son, Drugs, Emotions, Jason definitely has bpd, humour???, mental health, mostly angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-18 21:25:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12396531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keep_me_alone/pseuds/keep_me_alone
Summary: Jason is having a tough time. Bruce isn't helping so Clark does.Set Just before he dies.





	There's No Glitter in the Gutter

**Author's Note:**

> Whenever I write Jason I always think about the legal bare minimum of Jason Todd angst so here is this uh thing? Anyways it is Late and I am very sick but please enjoy the thing?? (also sorry about the formatting its from my phone)

Jason walked down an alley, lit joint in hand. He was feeling a curious mixture of emotions he couldn't quite identify, only knew that they felt like a pot about to boil over. The anger, he recognized. It was a familiar companion. The joint helped with that a little.

He'd left home. Left Bruce really. And Alfred, though he didn't want to think about that. Or was it more accurate to say that he'd been kicked out? Jason didn't know. So he wandered down the dark streets, wet pavement reflecting the yellow glow of streetlamps. It was raining, but not enough to be really called a rain, more like walking through mist or a slow-moving fog.

Jason shivered a little in his light jacket as he took another long drag. He smirked to himself as he wandered, thinking about how his child self would laugh at him now, out on the streets not even a whole night and already missing a hot meal and warm bed. Pathetic. He was in one of the seedier parts of Gotham, but strangely enough he hadn't seen any violent crimes. A few potential break and enters or trespassing, sure, but nothing that really needed his attention. It was almost eerily quiet. And then he realized why, he was being trailed. By Superman of all people.

"Come on out, Supes," he called, stopping and turning. Superman leapt lightly off the building he'd been on to land in front of Jason. "Red and blue might work in Metropolis," he grinned, all teeth and menace, "but this is Gotham." He puffed on his blunt, not being particularly careful to avoid Superman with the smoke.

"Hey Jason."  
"So did Bruce have you follow me?" Jason demanded, crossing his arms.  
"Afraid so," the corners of his mouth curled into a small, attractive smile.  
"Fucking hell," Jason muttered. He took a rougher drag that made him cough.  
"You good there champ?"' Jason waved him off, irritated.  
"What do you want?" Jason demanded.  
"I'm just here to make sure you're safe," Clark told him calmly.  
"All these years of fightin' crime, and he still doesn't think I can take care of myself," he snorted. "Typical."  
"I'm not sure it's that," Clark said slowly, "so much as  _that_ ," he gestured meaningfully at the joint.  
"Oh my god," Jason laughed humorlessly, "this is a fucking intervention. By Superman." He began to walk away. "I can't fucking believe. Look Supes, you don't know shit about my life, ok? I know you think I'm some sad orphan that Bruce rescued out of the trash," Clark tried to interrupt, "but I'm not. I'm my own fucking person and neither of you get to judge me for this, or take it away, or do whatever it is you're here to do."

  
"I just want to take you home," Clark said gently, reasonably. Jason hated him for it. "Why did Bruce send you anyways?" Jason asked, pulling on his joint, "doesn't he have tracers in my molars or some shit, or is he just afraid he couldn't bring me back himself." Clark winced.  


"Please don't suggest that to him." There were already tracers in the Robin suit, Bruce was paranoid enough already. "Look Jay, you're high. We just want you home until you can cool off and talk about it."

  
"I'm really not that high," Jason informed him, examining the joint. He needed to get some better weed. "Anyways Bruce has made it pretty clear I'm not welcome right now." His tone was dull. Clark sighed.  
"He's worried about you."  
"Well he has a funny way of showing it." The statement was devoid of emotion.  Jason took a long drag, hoping that with the smoke, he would inhale all the stars he couldn't see. "He thinks I killed someone,  you know."  
"I know," Clark said carefully.  
"Do you think I did it?" Jason asked him. He stepped off the curb, avoiding a small puddle, and crossed the street. Eyes peered out at them through a tangle of dirty blankets.  
"I don't know," Clark said eventually, "Did you?" Jason's face opened for a moment, surprised,  and Clark wondered if anyone had ever asked him that before.  
"No, but would it have been so bad if I did?" Jason asked, looking into Gotham's yellow, polluted sky. "What he did to that woman..."  
"Heroes don't kill when they don't have to." Clark said firmly.  
"I still think he deserved it," Jason said quietly. "And yeah, for a minute, I really did want to. But I didn't." Clark nodded, he squeezed Jason's shoulder.  
"That's the important part, pal."  
"I guess Bruce is right not to trust me, huh?" His voice was thick now, on the verge of cracking.  
"I don't know that he trusts anyone.  You're important to him. He doesn't want to fail you." Jason snorted.  
"Right."  
"I'm serious," and with the earnest look in his blue eyes, there could be no doubt. It made Jason uncomfortable.  
"Whatever, man. Let’s be done with this weird heart to heart. Congratulations, your drug intervention has been successful. Can you just take me home?"  
"Can you put out your joint first?" Jason looked at his hand, surprised. He flicked the butt onto the already filthy street and scuffed it with his toe, earning a disapproving look from Superman.  
"We can talk about that tomorrow." Jason hoped he meant the littering and not the weed, but suspected the latter was more likely. Superman held out his hand to Jason who took it, feeling a little awkward.  
"Do you think we could fly a bit before we go?" Superman nodded, suspecting that Jason was still reluctant to see Bruce. He took off, launching them into the sky, above the smog, and into the glittering night.  
"I know a few places I think you'd really like."

 


End file.
